Vision

Driving growth; enriching lives and promoting Britain to the world.

Culture, media and sport enriches our lives and helps make Britain unique. Wherever you live in the country and whatever your background, we want you to be able to enjoy and participate in our sectors. We are:

Keeping our major national museums and galleries free

Getting the nation active and supporting our elite athletes on the world stage

Backing the creative industries, which are growing at 3 times the rate of our economy as a whole

Spreading the benefits of our thriving tourism and heritage industries right across the country

Leading the digital revolution to make the UK the most competitive and innovative market in the world and driving an ambitious digital communications agenda, connecting homes and businesses to broadband and mobile

1. Growing the economy

1.1 What DCMS is doing

At the heart of everything we do is the government’s long-term economic plan to build a stronger, more competitive economy and secure a better future for Britain. DCMS accounts for just 0.18% of total central government spending yet our sectors contribute 16% of total Gross Value Added to the UK economy. Central to this will be our work throughout the country to support our creative industries, digital economy, intellectual property rights, soft power, sport and tourism.

We will achieve this objective by:

Ensuring the UK’s fastest growing and most creative sectors are open to all and continue to drive our strong economy

Improving productivity through wider use of digital technology

Promoting the competitiveness of our creative and digital industries

Creating value from the release of radio spectrum

Supporting the growth opportunities of a free and open internet

Strengthening our cultural and creative exports and inward investment

Tackling digital exclusion

Promoting our world-class tourism sector

We’re supporting businesses through a targeted approach by:

Improving productivity through the adoption and development of digital technology and skills and improving cyber-security to make the UK one of the most secure places in the world to do business

Creating more value from radio spectrum through releasing capacity to the market

Marketing Britain across the world to promote jobs and growth by strengthening cultural exports and promoting inward investments

Attracting and retaining talent in the tourism industry

Making sure apprenticeships work for the seasonal tourism industry

Government priorities under this objective are to:

Release more spectrum from public use to allow greater private sector access

Introduce a tax credit for children’s television in 2016 and expand them when possible. Achieved in 2015

Protect intellectual property (rights) by continuing to require internet service providers to block sites that carry large amounts of illegal content

1.2 How DCMS is doing

UK GVA contributed by DCMS sectors

2. Connecting the UK

2.1 What DCMS is doing

DCMS is driving economic growth and leading Europe in mobile and broadband connectivity and driving productivity in the telecommunications and digital sectors across the country - while protecting consumers, businesses and the nation from cyber-crime.

Mobile coverage (4G)

3. Encouraging participation

3.1 What DCMS is doing

Everyone should be able to access and participate in the arts, heritage and sport no matter what their background or where they come from. Participation in many DCMS sectors is proven to increase health and well-being, enrich citizens’ lives and promote social mobility through broadened experiences and networks. Arts and culture, heritage, libraries, museums and galleries and sport all have a vital role to play in this work and we believe no-one should be left behind.

In addition to the social benefits of participation, there is a high level of recognition that one of the best investments the nation can make is in our extraordinary arts, museums, heritage, media and sport - where £1 billion a year in grants adds a quarter of £1 trillion pounds to our economy.

We will achieve this objective by:

Promoting the UK’s heritage and historic environment

Extending the reach of the Government Art Collection at home and abroad

Working with the arts and culture sectors to emphasise the benefits of participation for all

3.2 How DCMS is doing

Engagement in sport

New data collection is in place to measure engagement in sport. This will include volunteering, attendance and participation in sport. It is expected that the first results will be available in early 2017.

Subjective wellbeing

Subjective wellbeing is made up of 4 measures (scored out of 10) based on individuals’ responses to questions on wellbeing, including: how happy they are; how satisfied they are with their life; to what extent they feel things in their life are worthwhile; and how anxious they felt the day prior to interview. The chart shows the mean score out of 10 for each question.

4. Sustaining excellence and promoting Britain

4.1 What DCMS is doing

Sustaining excellence in UK sport, tourism and culture, promoting Britain around the world.

Through our work on areas like tourism, soft power and elite sport, we help to maintain excellence in the sectors that promote the UK around the world - demonstrating that Britain is GREAT.

We will achieve this objective by supporting the tourism sector (particularly by increasing tourism exports), delivering the national programme to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, promoting excellence in the arts and culture sectors, furthering the UK’s soft power work, and delivering elite sporting success.

We’re doing this through:

Backing the tourism sector for domestic and international audiences

Leading on ceremonials and First World War centenary commemorations

Supporting the best of our arts and culture right across the country

Delivering elite sporting success internationally and domestically

Extending the reach of the Government Art Collection at home and abroad

Boosting tourism throughout the regions, including areas affected by floods

Government priorities under this objective are to:

Set challenging targets for VisitBritain and VisitEngland to ensure more visitors travel outside the capital

Invest to boost tourism in the South West

Step up efforts to recruit more apprentices in the tourism industry

Continue to support elite sports funding as part of the Olympic and Paralympic legacy

First World War centenary

Elite sport

DCMS, along with UK Sport and National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs), is developing a measure of UK and home nation performance in pinnacle World, European and Commonwealth competitions to measure success in elite sport.

5. Supporting our media

5.1 What DCMS is doing

A thriving media sector and a free press are one of the cornerstones of democracy, and DCMS works closely with the sector to support this.

We will achieve this objective by supporting the different elements of a healthy and sustainable UK media market (including press, broadcasting and radio), and ensuring the BBC remains a valued public broadcaster as part of a dynamic modern media landscape.

We’re doing this through:

Promoting a healthy, sustainable and world-leading media market at every level in the country

Completing the BBC Charter Review

Government priorities under this objective are to:

Defend a free media

Offer explicit protection for the role of journalists via the British Bill of Rights and ban the police from accessing journalists’ phone records to identify whistle blowers and other sources without prior judicial approval

Consult on the introduction of business rate relief for local newspapers in England

Continue to support digital infrastructure and superfast broadband rollout across the country

Deliver a comprehensive review of the BBC Royal Charter, ensuring it delivers value for money for the licence fee payer, while maintaining a world-class service and supporting our creative industries. The BBC will take on the full cost of the over-75s TV licence concession, phased in from 2018/19. The government anticipates that the licence fee will rise in line with CPI over the next Charter Review period, subject to:
(a) the conclusions of the Charter Review, in relation to the purposes and scope of the BBC and
(b) the BBC demonstrating that it is undertaking efficiency savings at least equivalent to those in other parts of the public sector

5.2 How DCMS is doing

Media plurality

Media plurality will be measured through the Ofcom media plurality measurement framework.

Satisfaction with Public Service Broadcasting (PSB)

Measurement of PSB satisfaction will be based on survey data.

6. Ensuring social responsibility

6.1 What DCMS is doing

DCMS supports some of the most dynamic and popular industries, and plays a critical role in ensuring they protect, and take responsibility for the interests of British people and families. This underpins many areas of DCMS policy responsibilities, including online safety, gambling and licensing, media regulation and data protection.

We will achieve this objective by:

Working with parents, schools and industry to improve child online safety

Ensuring a proportionate gambling framework that balances economic growth against protecting the vulnerable

Maintaining a healthy policy and regulatory environment for the media sector

Ensuring the UK’s data protection policy protects the interests of citizens and supports the growth of the digital economy

Administrative savings over the Spending Review, in line with BDUK’s delivery schedule, as work delivers on target over the period

Establishing a 1% ALB year-on-year efficiency target against total grant-in-aid funding across the Spending Review period, which can be recycled into frontline services

How DCMS is working collaboratively across government

We will work collaboratively with Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and other government departments to deliver transformational change in key areas, including:

Developing digital solutions that meet common standards set by the Government Digital Service and use cross‐government platforms such as GOV.UK Verify, GOV.UK Pay or GOV.UK Notify as part of departmental digital services wherever this demonstrates the best value for money solution for government

Rationalising our estate in a joined‐up way, looking to develop ‘government hubs’ with other government departments, releasing land for housing where possible and participating in the development of the new commercial property model

Delivering savings in our commercial relationships including through spend on common goods and services, delivered in partnership with Crown Commercial Services. Continuing to build our commercial capability and working with Crown Commercial Services to deliver the government’s 33% commitment of our spend with SMEs by 2020

Working in partnership with: the Cabinet Office to deliver ALB transformation plans; Infrastructure and Projects Authority on major projects, programmes and prioritisation; and reducing losses through fraud and error alongside developing a debt management strategy

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